Today is the 30th anniversary of the martyrdom of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador. You probably recall that he was shot in the heart while saying Mass. He was a champion of the poor and disenfranchised of that country.
He is reported to have said the following a few days before his death, almost in premonition:
“You can tell the people that if they succeed in killing me, that I forgive and bless those who do it. Hopefully, they will realize they are wasting their time. A bishop will die, but the church of God, which is the people, will never perish.”
He also reported to have said the following, which all of us ordained need well heed:
“A church that suffers no persecution but enjoys the privileges and support of the things of the earth – beware! – is not the true church of Jesus Christ. A preaching that does not point out sin is not the preaching of the gospel. A preaching that makes sinners feel good, so that they are secured in their sinful state, betrays the gospel’s call.”
Finally, the following:
“When the church hears the cry of the oppressed it cannot but denounce the social structures that give rise to and perpetuate the misery from which the cry arises.”
I thank the Collaborative Ministry Office of Creighton University for the information above. Read more at: www.onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/romero.html
